The present invention relates generally to juice dispensers, and more particularly to juice dispensers that are easily serviced.
Juice dispensers for reconstituting fruit or vegetable juice syrup concentrate with water and dispensing the reconstituted juice into a cup, are well known in the prior art. Generally, a juice dispensing apparatus includes one or more post-mix valves that operate to mix independent inflows of potable water and juice concentrate, control the ratios thereof and dispense the finished product into a cup. Mechanically refrigerated juice dispensers are known that include a water bath system. In such a system, an evaporator is placed in a water bath tank for the formation of an ice bank thereon. The ice bank water bath provides for a cooling reserve and is used to separately cool the potable water before it is combined with the juice concentrate. Specifically, the potable water flows through heat exchange lines located in the water bath and is cooled thereby prior to its combination with the syrup at the dispensing valve.
It is also known to cool the concentrate prior to its combination with the water. Typically, the concentrate is contained within a flexible bag or rigid plastic container from which the concentrate is pumped to the post-mix valve. The concentrate reservoir is held within a dedicated compartment in the dispenser housing. That compartment can be cooled by the circulation of cold water from the water bath through heat exchange coils in the concentrate compartment.
A problem with juice dispensers of the type described above concerns the ease of service thereof. If, for example, a problem involves the water bath components, service thereof can involve a time consuming disassembly of the entire dispenser. Accordingly, it would be very desirable to have a juice dispenser that provides all the advantages of a water bath for cooling the potable water as well as the concentrate compartment, but that is easier to repair, and therefore, less costly to own and maintain.
The present invention concerns a juice dispenser that includes a water bath tank, a mechanical refrigeration system and a cooled beverage containing compartment or cabinet. These three major components thereof are designed to be separable modular units that are easily assembled together and disassembled. A sheet metal refrigeration deck having an evaporator secured thereto and suspended there below is easily dropped into and secured to a top end of the water bath tank. Various mechanical refrigeration components including primarily a compressor and condenser are supported above the deck at a rear portion thereof. The cooled cabinet is positioned and retained above a forward portion of the water bath tank.
Quick fluid disconnects provide for releasable connection with water lines extending from the water bath for providing fluid connection to a heat exchange coil located within an internal beverage containing space in the cabinet. One or more beverage containers are retained within this space and cooled by heat exchange convection with the heat exchanger. The beverage containers are fluidly connected to beverage dispense valves externally secured to and suspended from a lower end of the cabinet. A quick fluid disconnect is also provided for a line delivering cooled potable water to the beverage dispensing valves. The potable water is used to combine with the juice syrup for reconstituting the dispensed drink. Thus, the present invention provides for the advantage of being able to quickly disengage the three fluid lines extending between the water bath and the concentrate compartment so that those two primary components can be easily separated and worked on. Those of skill will appreciate that various juice retaining cabinets can be made that are the same externally but adapted differently internally as to the type of juice container that can be retained therein. Thus, the present invention easily facilitates such exchange of cabinets while permitting the use of the same refrigeration components. Further quick disconnects permit the refrigeration deck to be lifted from and off the water bath tank to also aid is servicing either the water bath or refrigeration components.